Tigers ace Tarik Skubal to make minor-league rehab start on Sunday
· Yahoo Sports
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is taking another step towards returning to the big leagues.
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The Tigers announced that Skubal will make a rehab start for High-A West Michigan in Dayton, Ohio on Sunday, June 7. It's the latest progression in the rehab process for Skubal, who hasn't pitched since April 29 while recovering from a procedure to remove a bone chip in his left elbow.
"It's been about about a month or so, and when you don't get to play, it sucks, you know? So I'm excited to go out there and compete," he said.
Tarik Skubal injury update
The Tigers decided to have Skubal make his rehab appearance for High-A West Michigan instead of for Triple-A Toledo due to weather concerns in Des Moines, Iowa, where the Toledo Mud Hens are playing a weekend series. The lower level doesn't seem to be a problem for Skubal, however.
"I don't really care what level it's at," he said. "Ideally we probably want Triple-A, but the weather there doesn't seem like the smart move to send me there, and potentially not even throw at all."
Skubal said he ideally wants to reach 75-80 pitches and throw into the fifth inning in his rehab appearance, as well as getting back into game shape more than a month after his last start.
"Just get out there and throw strikes, get ahead of guys, pitch, do what I'm supposed to do on the mound," he said. "Do all the little things like covering first base, doing all those things just to get back into competition mode."
The lefty underwent an arthroscopic procedure on May 6, a surgery that historically has required a 2-4 month recovery period for pitchers. However, a relatively new surgery using a NanoNeedle limited the invasiveness of the procedure, allowing Skubal to speed up his recovery time and potentially be back by mid-June.
That's great news for a Tigers team in the middle of a hot streak, with Detroit having just swept the first-place Tampa Bay Rays on the road.
"I think it gives everyone in this room of ton of confidence in us, and obviously we've got some help coming back," he said. "Frankly, there needs to be a sense of urgency with this group. We want to make a push and be in it for the rest of the year."
That doesn't mean the Tigers are going to rush back their ace, however.
"We're just going step by step," said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. "He's in unprecedented territory right now. He's going to be on a rehab assignment before he was expected to, based on the experts that have done the surgery over however many years," he said.
Hinch is hopeful that this will be Skubal's only rehab appearance before he's ready to return.
"Right now, [the Whitecaps will] take good care of him on Sunday and deliver him back ready to go, and hopefully it's one stint and then you can come back to the big leagues," he said.
Justin Verlander, Casey Mize, Kenley Jansen injury updates
Hinch said that Tigers starters Casey Mize and Justin Verlander will both throw off the mound on Saturday, the next steps to return for both injured righties. Mize will then go on a rehab assignment, though the Tigers did not specify where or when.
Mize last pitched on May 27 before leaving in the middle of the Tigers' 4-0 win against the Los Angeles Angels with a right groin injury. It's the second time this season he has missed games with a groin injury, and he has arguably been Detroit's best starter this season when healthy, pitching to a 2.27 ERA over 47⅔ innings.
Verlander, meanwhile, only made one start this season before landing on the injured list on April 4 with hip inflammation. His recovery has been relatively slow, but had a positive rehab appearance with five scoreless innings for Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, June 2.
Hinch said the team is still deciding whether Verlander needs another rehab start or if he can pitch for the big league team, adding that he will have updates on Verlander after he throws off the mound this weekend.
Closer Kenley Jansen was also seen throwing at Comerica Park today as he continues rehabbing from a groin injury. Hinch said that he'll throw off the mound on Sunday and complete a rehab start before being ready to pitch in the big leagues.
He last pitched on May 27, though Hinch says he "hasn't stoped throwing" since his last appearance.
Hinch said that the returning pitchers can give the team a performance boost heading into the middle part of the season.
"This group has done a good job of trying to maintain the course of positivity though a really rough May," he said. "We got to June, I like how it started. We're going to get healthier as we go, and obviously need to win as many games as we can to keep digging ourselves out of this hole."
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tarik Skubal injury update: Tigers ace will make rehab start Sunday